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Indian
The history of the Indian subcontinent stretches back at least 9,000 years to the city-states of the Indus Valley. With the second-largest population, fourth-biggest economy, and biggest democracy in the world today, India's extraordinary history was shaped in many ways by its commercial and cultural wealth. After a century of British East India Company rule, events sparked a battle between the Company's Indian soldiers (sepoys) and forces loyal to the Company. Although nearly another century would pass before complete Indian independence, the British East India Company would never be as powerful again. The Imperial Empires: The Campaigns India campaign simulates events during India's Mughal Empire full expansion led by Abrar The Great. History 299px|rightThe Mughal Dynasty was founded when Babur, a conqueror from Ferghana (Modern day Uzbekistan), invaded large tracts of land in northern India. Babur was descended from Timur (Tamerlane) on his father's side of the family, thus, the Mughals are often known as the Timurids. Additionally, Babur's mother was descended from the great Mongol leader, Genghis Khan. The incursion culminated at the First Battle of Panipat, in 1526, where the sovereign at Delhi, Ibrahim Shah Lodhi, was defeated. The Delhi Sultanate was swiftly replaced by the Mughal Empire, which encompassed vast portions of modern day India. When Babur's son, Humayun, ascended the throne, an Afghan official by the name of Sher Shah Suri founded his own state and defeated Humayun in battle. Oddly enough, Sher Shah suddenly died, leaving a trail of incompetent successors who were quickly vanquished. By 1555, Humayun had restored imperial rule and reclaimed his throne. However, Humayun died a few months later, leaving the throne to his young 13-year-old son, Akbar, who would later be referred to as Akbar the Great. Under the reign of Akbar the Great the empire expanded at a greater rate than any other Mughal ruler had accomplished. The military might Akbar established effectively placed the Mughal empire as the dominant force on the Indian subcontinent for the next century to come. As the Hindu peoples in India had shown considerable resistance to Muslim conquests, Akbar abolished the jizya tax, promoting religious freedom. Being born in a Hindu Rajput household, he was sensitive to the non-Muslims in the empire, setting fair, yet steep taxes. Hindus, for the first time since the founding of the Mughal Empire, were given a say in the ruling of the state. He arranged many important marriage-alliances with the Hindu Rajput caste, he himself marrying a Rajput princess, Mariam-Uz-Zahani. Toward the end of his life, he made one final attempt at uniting the nation's religion by creating his own religion, Din-I-Ilhahi, merging the best components of all the religions in India. However, the religion did not catch on and the very existence of this sect is disputed by modern scholars. By the end of his reign, Akbar had consolidated the northern half of the Indian subcontinent, established religious harmony for Hindus and minor Muslim sects, and made contact with the Persians, Portuguese, Yemenites, Arabians and Ottomans. Beginning with Bahadur Shah I, who was crowned in 1707, the Mughal Emperors progressively declined in power, an local warlords began ruling within their self-proclaimed semi-autonomous states. In the 18th century, the Empire suffered the depredations of invaders like Nadir Shah of Persia and Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan, who repeatedly sacked Delhi, the Mughal capital. The greater portion of the empire's territories in India passed to the Marathas, who sacked Delhi, reducing the once powerful and mighty empire to just lone city before falling to the British. In 1804, the Mughals watched helplessly as their emperor signed a formal agreement to accept the protection of the British East India company. The British began to address the Mughal Emperor as "King of Delhi" instead of "Emperor of India", reflecting the severely reduced authority that the Emperor wielded. By 1805, the British East India Company ordered the disbandment of the once-mighty Mughal army, with the exception of the Emperor's palace guard at the Red Fort. During the Sepoy Rebellion, some of the rebels declared their allegiance with the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, although he was meant as nothing more than a symbolical figurehead of the rebellion. Alarmed, the British decided to dismiss with all courtesies and abolish the empire altogether. The last Mughal Emperor was forced abdicate and was exiled to Burma, where he passed away 5 years later, in year 1862, ending the Mughal Empire. Category:Civilizations Category:Asian civilizations